I Won't Give Up
by musical-fi
Summary: Episode 10 touched all of our hearts when Lin Beifong sacrificed herself to save Tenzin and his family and because of this, lost her beloved bending. But what would have happened if Tenzin had gone back to save Lin? Let's find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everybody! So I have had this idea for awhile now so I decided to write it! Basically, it's Episode 10 when Lin sacrifices herself to save Tenzin and his family. I wanted to write what would have happened if Tenzin had gone back to save Lin. Thus, this fanfiction was created. I hope you enjoy it! **

_Tenzin POV_

****I stared ahead, panic building up inside me. I had to stay calm and patient in order to keep my family and Lin safe. However, the pressure of it all was upon me and Oogie as we raced away from the coming airships. I knew the Equalist wouldn't give up until we were captured.

"They're gaining on us!" Lin called out.

I turned my head around for a second and saw that she was right. The ships were coming towards us, picking up speed.

"Faster, Oogie!" I ordered my sky bison, flicking the reins attached to him.

He gave a groan in reply before speeding up.

I heard a loud bang behind me followed by the sound of Lin's metal cables. I knew that she had dealt with whatever had came our way. There was silence behind me until,

"Whatever happens to me, don't turn back,"

It took me a split second to register her words before I whirled around to face her. She was standing up on the saddle, looking at me with determination in her eyes. A metal cable was latched onto a rope hanging from one of the Equalist airships.

"Lin, what are you doing?" I demanded.

Her jade eyes softened. I let out a little gasp as I recognized those eyes. They seemed to be filled with all the emotion and something I thought she had forgotten all about; love. Her eyes showed to me that she still cared about me and I realized how much she meant to me. Before anything else could be said, she ran down Oogie's back and launched herself into the air.

Lin swung towards the Equalist ship, pulling herself up with her metal bending. She flipped herself up and onto the ship with a loud thud. Taking her stance, she lifted a piece of metal from the ship and dragged it across, creating a huge hole on the top of it. The airship gave a loud groan before it began sinking into the sky, fire exploding off of it.

Debris from the falling ship filled the air, as I scanned the area for any signs of Lin. I sighed in relief as I saw her jump and land safely onto the second airship. Hse started to metalbend the ship like she had done with the first when I watched a hatch open behind her and two chi blockers emerged. I wanted to scream out to Lin, but it was too late. Ropes flew around her arms and ankles, knocking her to the ground. I heard her yell in pain as she was electrocuted. The two masked figures stepped towards her as the ship turned around, heading back towards Air Temple Island.

Silence engulfed the air as we watched the airship fly away. I swore that my family could hear my heart because it was beating so hard against my chest. It felt like the world was crumbling around me.

"That lady is my hero." Meelo stated.

"Yes, she is." I agreed, sadly.

I couldn't believe that Lin had sacrificed herself to save us. After everything we had been through, after I had left her all alone to love another, she had given up everything to save me and my family. Why had she done that? She was surely off to Amon now. It hit me hard in the chest. Lin's bending! Amon was going to take away her bending; her connection to her mother; her life's work; what makes her her. And it was all my fault. I knew what I had to do.

"Jinora, I need you to come up here and drive Oogie." I said over my shoulder to my eldest daughter.

Jinora stood up and went over to where I sat. I quickly handed her the reins. Looking deep into her eyes, i saw fear.

"Jinora, you can do this." I assured her. "We've been practicing this. I know you are ready."

"But Dad, I..."

"I know you're scared. I am too. But I need to do this. There's an Earth Kingdom village not too far from here. I need you to get your mother and siblings there safely. Can you do that?"

Jinora looked at me and understood what was happening. She nodded, blinking tears out of her soft eyes as she focused ahead.

I stepped quickly onto Oogie's saddle and grabbed the glider that I had grabbed before we had left.

"Tenzin, what are you doing?" Pema demanded.

"I'm doing what's right." I replied firmly, turning to her.

"What, by leaving us to go after her?" Pema put a strain on saying her, almost like she was disgusted by the word.

"Pema, she's going to lose her bending if I don't go after that airship. I will never forgive myself if that happened."

"Tenzin, do you still have feelings for her?" Pema snapped, tears forming in her eyes. "Is that was this is all about?'

"No! Of course not! Lin is my best friend and I care about her very much. I can't bear the thought of her getting hurt, or losing her bending because of me."

Pema glared at me through the tears that were streaming down her face.

"I can't believe you have the audacity to chose her over your family."

The words hit me hard, making the guilt build up inside of me. I looked at my four children. Ikki and Meelo clung to each other, tears in their eyes as they tried to understand what was happening. Jinora had her back turned to us, but I knew that she understood what was happening. And little Rohan who was born only an hour or so ago, was sleeping in his mother's tight grasp, oblivious of the situation. I met Pema's brown eyes, seeing all her anger, sorrow, and fear in her eyes. She was just as terrified as I was, for herself and for the children. I was torn between staying with my family and keeping them safe, and going to save my best friend.

But was it just a friendship?

The way Lin had looked at me when she had jumped off had hints that she still had feelings for me. Did she? Did I still have feelings for her? Was that why I was acting like this?

It was like he loved both Lin and Pema for different reasons. Pema was sweet and delicate. Lin was headstrong and tough. Pema was a housewife who was able to settle down and have kids. Lin had a dangerous job and never really wanted to have a family. Pema was, in a way, a newer friend while Lin had been my best friend since day one, not to mention the fact that she was his first crush, his first date, his first girlfriend, and his first lover.

I sighed, closing my eyes for a minute to try to will the tears to go away.

"It's not like that, Pema." I tried to think of words to explain how I felt. "I... It... We... Look, it's hard for me to explain, especially right now. But I promise you, Pema, I love you and the children very much and I care for your safety. I just need to do this. I hope that one day, you can understand."

Putting down the glider, I walked over to Pema and kissed her cheek lightly.

"Stay safe." I whispered to her.

"You too." She replied, her voice soft.

I bent over and placed a kiss on Rohan's head before turning to Ikki and Meelo.

"Daddy?" Ikki began.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Please save Miss Lin. She was so brave. She doesn't deserve to lose her bending."

"Yeah, Daddy." Meelo agreed. "Save Hero Lady for us."

"I will." I promised as I hugged them tightly.

Walking over to Jinora, I put a hand on her shoulder. There were tears in her eyes when she looked up at me.

"I'm so proud of you." I said, leaning down to embrace her tightly. Her arm wrapped around me tightly.

"Take care of them." I whispered into her ear before pulling away.

"I will." She vowed. "Be careful."

"I will."

I blinked away tears as I stepped back onto the saddle. Picking up my glider, I took one last look at my family before I leaped off of Oogie's back and into the air. My glider opened and I flew safely back towards Air Temple Island. I knew that my family would be safe and that they would make it to the village without a problem. I was now worried that I was too late to save Lin.

**So Tenzin is on his way to save Lin! Yay! This will be a multi-chapter story, just in case you were wondering! Review and let me know what y'll think! Until next time, stay classy Linzin fans! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delayed update, I am struggling to finish up my summer reading for school on Tuesday. This chpater was soo hard to write because I had to watch the scene where Lin lost her bending multiple times and I probably bawled each time. Here's Chapter 2! Warning: Your feels might die while reading. **

Lin POV

It was dark and raining heavily when I was brought to Air Temple Island. Only hours ago, I had been fighting chi-blockers in this exact spot. Now, I was being restrained by two of them as they led me to my fate.

My hands were bound in front of me by rope. I didn't struggle or fight against my captors. I had accepted that there was no getting out of this one. The only thing that mattered now was that Tenzin and his family were safe.

The chi-blockers threw me to the ground. I groaned as I landed hard on my knees, the metal from my suit biting into my skin. A piece of my disarrayed hair fell into my face as I looked up.

Standing before me was Amon. The sight of his mask made me my teeth grit and I found it hard to resist the urge to spit at him. He was surrounded by his lieutenant and a handful of his masked followers. I could tell he wasn't taking any chances with me.

"Tell me where the Avatar is," He said in his gravelly voice. "and I'll let you keep your bending."

I was not fooled by his words. Even if I gave him any information, I knew that I posed to much of a threat to him. He wouldn't be stupid enough to keep his word.

"I won't tell you anything, you monster." I snarled in reply.

He looked down at me with a glint in his dark eyes.

"Very well,"

I could tell he had been awaiting this moment; the moment where he took my bending. Me; the esteemed Chief of Police and the only daughter of Toph Beifong.

I stared ahead as Amon stepped behind me, each footstep seeming to drown out the sound of the rain and echo through my head.

This was it. I was going to lose my bending. I had failed as Chief of Police and I had failed my mother's legacy. I had lost everything that mattered to me in the past ten years; my mother, Tenzin, my job, and now, my bending was going to be the newest edition to that list.

Closing my eyes, I listened to the Earth one last time. It whispered my name, almost as if it were begging me to stay. I bit back the urge to allow my tears to shed, refusing to let these monsters see me break down. No matter what, I would stay strong.

I felt Amon's hand grasp my neck and pull my head back so that my forehead was facing upward. Keeping my eyes closed, I waited for him to take away my bending.

Suddenly, there was a huge gust of wind and I heard the shouts of Amon and his followers. I was knocked to the ground and landed hard on my back. My eyes flew open and I observed the scene.

Amon and his followers were lying on the stone ground of the courtyard. Amon was looking ahead past where Lin sat.

"Impossible," He hissed.

I turned to follow his gaze and gasped at who I saw.

Tenzin stood in his airbending stance, a look of fury of his face as he glared at Amon.

"Oh, it's possible,"

He bent more streams of air at the Equalists. They stood up, only to be thrown back to the ground hard.

I quickly moved out of the way and stood up to help Tenzin. Taking my stance, I used my metal cables to grab two of the Equalists and throw them into the air. Tenzin sent a gust of wind at them and they were launched into a tree, where they laid in a heap, unconscious.

Two Equalists came at me, wielding their signature weighted ropes. They swung them above their head, but before they could let them fly at me, I earthbent the ground around them, knocking them in the face with stone. They collapsed to the ground with a groan.

A sharp pain went through me, making me cry out in pain and fall to the ground.. The Lieutenant had somehow managed to get behind me and hit me with his kali sticks. I rolled onto my back to face him. He smiled at me wickedly, raising his kali sticks.

"That airbending brat can't save you now," He sneered, referring to Jinora.

The kali sticks made contact with my metal suit, immediately electrocuting me. I cried out at the unbearable pain.

"Lin!" Tenzin exclaimed.

He was surrounded by Equalists and was unable to come to my rescue. Suddenly, he created a airbending scooter and knocked out the half dozen chi-blockers before he went after the Lieutenant. He shot him down with a hard gust of air, and watched in triumph as he crumbled to the ground, unconscious. His scooter faded away and he landed on his feet, hurrying to my side.

"Lin," He said, cradling my head in his hands.

I looked up at him with my blurred vision. My body ached in pain inside my uniform. I knew that beneath the layer of metal, I was badly injured from the events that day. However, I pushed past it, not wanting Tenzin to think I'm weak.

"I'm fine, Airhead," I snapped.

I attempted to stand, but my head was spinning and my legs gave out from beneath me. Luckily, Tenzin was there to catch me before I hit the ground.

"Take it easy, Lin," He said softly, lowering her back onto the ground. My head rested carefully on his lap as I watched him scan the area for any signs of movement. Tenzin had managed to take out all of the Equalists and knock them all unconscious.

"Why did you come back?" I demanded. "You were supposed to escape!"

"I had to come back, Lin. I couldn't let you lose your bending because of me," He said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"But, your family..."

"They are safely heading towards Ba Sing Se." He interrupted.

"Tenzin, I..."

"Shh." He whispered. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

He was about to scoop me up into his strong arms when he suddenly let out a cry. A wave of pain went through me, making a gasp escape my lips. Both Tenzin and I were lifted off the ground and turned to face our attacker.

Amon faced us, his hands in the air. I realized that he was blood bending.

"You're... you're a... bender?" I struggled to speak.

"Not what you were expecting, huh, Beifong?" Amon chuckled.

"But, you're..."

"Fighting for Equality for non benders? Yes."

"Why...?" Tenzin demanded, struggling against his grip.

Amon laughed.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," Amon paused. "And thank you so much for telling me to find your family, Tenzin. As soon as I deal with you too, I'll send a team to take care of them,"

Tenzin's face paled as he looked at Amon with disbelief.

Chuckling, Amon used his bloodbending to bring me before him. I was on my knees facing Tenzin while Amon stood behind me.

"No!" Tenzin exclaimed.

"Oh don't worry, Tenzin. It'll be your turn soon enough, but not until you watch me take the bending from Chief Beifong and your children,"

Tenzin struggled frantically as Amon took a step towards me. Closing my eyes, I felt his hand grasp the back of my neck once again.

"NO! LIN!" Tenzin screamed.

Amon's thumb pressed down on the center of my forehead and my eyes flew open. I knew that it was gone. My bending was gone.

Amon pushed me forward to the ground and I collapsed to ground, allowing the darkness to sweep over me. The last thing I remember was Tenzin shouting my name.

**I hope you enjoyed that Chapter! Hope the plot twist made it okay, but in the end, Tenzin was still unable to save Lin from losing her bending. :( There will be more chapters so stay tuned! Review, and until next time, stay classy Linzin fans! **


	3. Chapter 3

**I. AM. SOOOOO. SORRY! I feel like a complete and utter jerk for not updating this in forever. I've been so busy with school starting and everything. I had a break on my hw load, so i thought I'd update my stories. Hope you enjoy this short little chapter. **

**_Tenzin_**

_It was dark. I looked around and saw nothing but black. Suddenly, a single light turned on, blinding me for a second. When my eyes regained focus, I saw Amon standing there, his mask illuminated by the bright light above him. Beside him, was Lin. She was being bloodbent, hovering a few inches from the ground. I could see the pain and fear in her jade eyes as she gazed at me. Seeing her in so much pain made me want to strangle Amon. however, when I tried to move, I found that it was impossible._

_"Tell me where Avatar Korra is," Amon ordered. "Or watch her die."_

_I said nothing in reply, desperately trying to come up with a plan to save Lin._

_"Very well," Amon raised his hand and Lin screamed before she crumbled to the ground._

_NO!_

I woke up with a start, breathing heavily. My whole body ached like crazy and I realized that I was hanging from the ceiling of the cell, metal cuffs fastened tightly around my wrists. I gazed around the dark room with my blurred vision. I was alone in the cell. The only sounds that I could hear were the sound of my heart thudding against my chest and the deep, shaky breaths I was taking.

_It was just a dream_. I assured myself._ Just a dream._

Closing my eyes, I tried to remember how I had ended up here. Memories flooded into my head. _The Equalist invasion. Escaping on Oogi. Lin jumping to save them and getting captured. Him leaving his family behind to save her. Him arriving just in time to stop Amon. Lin getting attacked by the Lieutenant. Getting bloodbent by Amon. That monster taking her bending._

_LIN!_

My eyes flew opened as I realized that Lin was nowhere in sight. Where was she? I struggled to break free of my bonds, desperate to find Lin. What if Amon had killed her? If he did...

There was the sound of approaching footsteps and muffled voices. I froze and listened carefully. Those voices sounded familiar...

Suddenly a door opened and a half a dozen Equalists and the Lieutenant stepped into the room, each one clasping a member of my family. I gasped in horror at the sight of my wife and children in the hands of these monsters. Jinora caught sight of me first and let out a surprised, "Daddy?"

At once the children fought to break free of their captors, and Rohan began crying. Pema was crying as well, but her tears fell silently. I struggled against my bonds, desperate to save my family, but the Lieutenant stepped into my cell, his kali sticks in hand. With a groan in pain, the darkness swept back over me. The last thing i remember was the voices of my terrified children. I had failed them.

**Sorry it's so short and I haven't updated. I'll try to work on it more. Until next time, stay classy Linzin fans!**


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